I should have known those remnant Portuguese genes would kick in sometime. My mother’s family claimed that they traced their heritage on one line back to Portuguese ancestors. Well, last year, Mrs. MM and I took a DNA test in the U.S. and it seems that at most, only 1.5% of my blood is from that area of the world. Mrs. MM is a bit more interesting with significant blobs of British and Iberian blood in her system. But that doesn’t seem outrageous at all… 100% first gen, 50% second gen, 25% third gen, 12.5% fourth gen, 6.25% fifth gen, 3.125% sixth gen, and 1.5625% seventh gen. Assuming none of my other ancestors had some blood from that area, then the completely “watered down” portuguese connection could have been 7 generations back or some 140-170 years ago, roughly 1830-50’s or so. Cool, huh?! That’s a long introduction to this simple but utterly fantastic guava jam, cheese, spread, which is also quite popularly known as “goiabada” in the former portuguese colonies, particularly Brazil, that had a surfeit of guavas.

Almost ten years ago, on this blog, I wrote this post on guava jam. I just made it naturally as an extension of some guava jelly I had made and wasn’t sure what to do with all the pulp. I thought it was a superb substitute for membrillo or quince paste, and it paired well with cheese and crackers. I didn’t make the connection that folks have been doing this for centuries in other places then, but now I know. I am surprised we don’t have more of this in the Pinoy diet. It’s SO DARNED easy to make, it’s sweet, it’s intensely flavored, and it’s perfect in pan de sal. Recipe in original post. Make it so that it firms up and you can use it as a spread or cut it to place on crackers. And yes, Betchay, Greens Blossoms and Nacho, I have your bottles of guava jelly that I made myself… will email you soon for pick-up. :) And I only made 7 bottles of this “goiabada” but if there is enough interest, I could raffle one off to readers if I can send them to you by courier in Manila or my Chief of Stuff can meet you in a convenient mall or 7-11 somewhere… If you want to try your luck at winning the bottle, just leave a comment below and I will randomly pick a winner! Good luck! :)

first time i tried guayaba in my husbands Tita who was a Cuban… She told me to put some queso crema and top the paste… It was so good that I had to introduce it to my friends ? … grateful for your recipe ???

I would love to have that. My mom and I would surely enjoy this on got pandesal in the afternoon over tea.

Sep 12, 2016 | 8:10 pm

Francesca
says:

I hope you pick me, my mom would love that. Thanks!

Sep 12, 2016 | 8:11 pm

Irene Quilino
says:

Guava jam and cheese in one jar? Two of my favorite pan de sal fillings ?

Sep 12, 2016 | 8:21 pm

Kouta Ono
says:

pls pick me?ive been dying to try guava jelly but I have a hard time finding guava.

Sep 12, 2016 | 8:38 pm

Betchay
says:

OMG! Is that my name I see up there? Or it is another Betchay? I cannot contain my excitement. I just won a red ribbon cake(consolation prize) in a raffle in our church yesterday but this time I feel I hit the jackpot! I hope that’s me MM…will wait for your email….thank you in advance! :)

ooohhhhh…. I would love to have one – and will definitelt consider it a belated birthday present hahahahah ^_^

Sep 12, 2016 | 11:53 pm

liza m.c.
says:

Lurkers will be coming out in the open again…. My skyflakes is ready! Haha

Sep 13, 2016 | 12:00 am

Footloose
says:

Goiabada is a mainstay of breakfast buffets all over Brazil, (as pasta de guayaba in the rest of Latin America) and paired as everyone seems to appreciate, with fresh cheese such as the famous one from Minas Gerais. But theirs is allowed to set firmer, closer to pâte de fruit and therefore served in slices. Yours appears closer to a product you featured once (sorry, can’t locate it), a tartine de goyabe sans pépites from Fauchon.

It’s 3AM but I saw your post on Instagram and just HAD to visit your site and see if I have a chance to win a bottle of that. :) First time to comment, long-time reader.

Sep 13, 2016 | 3:31 am

EJ
says:

Looking forward to tasting your goiabada.

Sep 13, 2016 | 4:47 am

Greens and Blossoms
says:

Mmmmmmm guava jelly of MM!!! Waiting for your email….Thanks for taking in the special request :-)

Sep 13, 2016 | 4:51 am

tin
says:

I would love to have one from you. I am an avid reader of your blog since 2012 and I am one of your followers and likers on Instagram. As a former countryside girl, I always feel excited whenever you feature ‘strange’, ‘weird’ and unusual fruits, vegetables and recipes. I actually patterned my paella recipe from yours.hehe. Thank you for blogging about all those wonderful things.

Sep 13, 2016 | 5:07 am

Joe-ker
says:

haven’t tried this, hope to be the lucky one.

Sep 13, 2016 | 5:19 am

farida
says:

ha ha guava jelly with skyflakes reminds me of my nursing school days when Mom would send me this after our study period. My classmates and I would just devour them. Now with this goiabada, it will just make my day. Please pick my name, MM. My sister can pick it up and there’s a 7-11 in Barili.

Sep 13, 2016 | 5:22 am

Zerho
says:

Would love to win this. Hope the digital lottery gods will favor me.

Sep 13, 2016 | 6:03 am

Thel from Florida
says:

I have an Facebook friend living in Manila who just recovered from breast cancer, I am giving this to her if I am the lucky one. She is a follower of Bo Sanchez and she posted in Bo’s Facebook that she wants to attend his meeting called “the Feast” but she doesn’t have money. I offered to pay so she could attend but another reader living in Manila also offered to pay. Anyway, we became Facebook friends. Bless your heart always MM.

Oh I wish that I would be the lucky one to win this guava jelly! Long time follower here from Cebu but I seldom leave a comment. It’s just the vision of this guava jelly that got me out from my lurking. :)

Sep 13, 2016 | 6:42 am

betty q.
says:

Like Farida, guava jelly brings back childhood memories! Life is too short now to cut back on this and that!

If lucky enough to have a taste of your jam/jelly, I will find a way to have it transported over here, MM!

Sep 13, 2016 | 7:05 am

aji
says:

The lurker in me surfaces. Gosh I hope I am lucky enough to be able to try this one out.
It’ll probably quench my yearning for Porto’s guava cheese rolls.

Sep 13, 2016 | 7:12 am

bearhug0127
says:

Congratulations to whoever wins this! Am sure it would taste as we all imagined it to be!

Sep 13, 2016 | 7:52 am

Nadia
says:

My husband, kids & I are all fans of guava jam. Love having it with some local goat cheese on baguette :)

Sep 13, 2016 | 8:23 am

marznery
says:

Trying my luck for a taste of MM’s goiabada :)

Sep 13, 2016 | 8:57 am

Ness
says:

I’d love to have a bottle of your creation, MM. Is it the same as the guava jelly you sell at Zubuchon? I bought a bottle years ago on a visit to Cebu, and it was superb with hot pandesal.

Sep 13, 2016 | 9:08 am

Dianne
says:

not a fan of sinigang sa bayabas but i’m pretty sure i’d love this guava product of yours ?

Sep 13, 2016 | 10:28 am

Robert
says:

Pick me!

Sep 13, 2016 | 10:38 am

Jel
says:

I’m tired of lumpia shanghai and usual appetizer menu-cheese sticks. This goiabada could be great as a filling…mmm..

MM I think this is good as palaman in cassava puto that you featured before instead of bukayo.

Sep 13, 2016 | 11:21 am

Mimi
says:

Have not had guava jelly for a looooong time.

Sep 13, 2016 | 11:33 am

ECC
says:

What a coincidence! I just made a few jars of guava jam. A friend gave me two kinds of guavas recently — pink and what she calls “guapple”. I made jam with the pink guavas and it was delicious paired with butter and homemade Challah bread. I have cooked the guapple too but have not had a chance to remove the seeds and add sugar.

Sep 13, 2016 | 12:06 pm

jenneth
says:

First time I heard of this Goiabada. One of the lurkers here :) But not expecting to win, no luck in any raffles at all :D

Sep 13, 2016 | 12:06 pm

Olrica Flores
says:

Pretty please pick me! :) it’s so hard to find good guava jam, much more goiabada in this part of the world. My dad will love this!

I hope you pick me. I promise to eat it with several types of cheese, some crackers and a good bottle of wine. Just in case luck is on my side and I win this bottle, I’ll immediately go to the nearest Lotto station and bet on some numbers as I’ve never been lucky in raffles. :)
Thank you!

Me Me Me Me Me
probably to late and too far away – but still would love to taste that !!

We have something like this over here called “quince cheese” … got a (harder) jelly like texture and is made out of quince. Already pretty hard to aquire as most younger folks don´t do it anymore and it´s REALLY MUCH / HARD work to do…

Sir, will you share your goiabada recipe here in your blog? Crossing my fingers here! I was not able to open your blog as soon as you posted so since my chance of getting that free goiabada is very slim to none I’m trying my luck here if ever you will be sharing your recipe!
I once cooked the frozen strawberries I bought in the Alfamart convenience store near our place. My daughter wanted to have it for her cereal but the strawberries tasted sour. The salesperson said the berries were imported from Indonesia (Alfamart is from Indonesia). I don’t want to waste the berries so I just cooked them into jam (finished product was about 200-250mL). My son liked the jam and he finished it all up, even if I was not sure about its taste. That was my first strawberry jam after all! ;)
Ooops! I just saw the link you included in this post! Thanks sir for the recipe! ;) Keeping my fingers crossed for that free goiabada! ;)

Sep 13, 2016 | 5:13 pm

MiMac
says:

And the winner is, MiMac! Yipee!

**MM, please cut and paste this nalang. Hahaha! :) Will pick it up anywhere!

Sep 13, 2016 | 5:21 pm

Juandesigns
says:

Count me in! There used to be a lone guava tree on an empty lot beside our house that I used to climb to. It bears fruits year round. The fruits ripen usually after a heavy downpour. I remember having guinataan na bayabas as a staple while growing up. Sadly, the tree was chopped down to give way to a house built by a neighbour. A taste of goiabada will surely bring back sweet memories. Thanks, Marketman!

I will be very delighted to taste your “goiabada”! Tasting something new surely makes my day!

Sep 15, 2016 | 2:47 pm

George
says:

Hi,
Is this only for Philippines-based readers? If not, I would like to give it a try.

Sep 15, 2016 | 5:40 pm

ligaya
says:

pls pick me marketman!

Sep 15, 2016 | 6:50 pm

sophie
says:

oh MM, i hope my name will be the lucky one ^_^! would love to have this with crackers or saba! (same with the guava jelly bought from your store eons ago when i visited Cebu that i don’t have anymore :( sad.. sad .. sad)

Will close this “giveaway promo” at 100 entries, so 10 more folks should sign up, then everyone has a 1/100 chance of winning, so much better than lotto odds… hahaha. Will announce the winner by Sunday night…